Superheavy Element in Kilonovae

With LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA in its fourth observing run, a new opportunity to search for electromagnetic counterparts of compact object mergers has also begun. The light curves and spectra from the first "kilonova" associated with a binary neutron star binary (NSM) suggests that these sites are hosts of the rapid neutron capture (r) process. However, it is unknown just how robust elemental production can be in mergers. Identifying signposts of the production of particular nuclei is critical for fully understanding merger-driven heavy-element synthesis. In this study, we investigate the properties of very neutron rich nuclei for which superheavy elements (Z≧104) can be produced in NSMs and whether they can similarly imprint a unique signature on kilonova light-curve evolution. This talk will discuss how superheavy-element production may be identified in NSMs and possibly supply the first evidence of superheavy element synthesis in nature.